*Groan* The pertussis fear-mongering has begun...

[CallMeMommy]

There's a whooping cough "outbreak" in my area, so of course they have to do a story on it in the paper: http://www.albertleatribune.com/news...hooping-cough/

The doctor said whooping cough is a disease that appears periodically. It’s something doctors see in various areas, and outbreaks can be associated in areas where vaccinations have dropped. Usually, it’s something he doesn’t see often.

“If you have a pool of parents who don’t want to vaccinate their kids, it can flare up,” he said.

[Marnica]

It's funny how we get blamed for all the outbreaks of everything. I'd be interetsed to know how many kids in the "outbreak" have been vaxed. Its also funny how WC comes around cyclically about every 4 years even with high vax rates. Since the vax doesn't prevent transmission, it is just as likely that the vaxed kids are spreading the disease. Lets share the blame shall we??

[CookAMH]

They called 3-4 cases in a county an outbreak? Is the county the size of a city block?

[CallMeMommy]

Originally Posted by CookAMH

They called 3-4 cases in a county an outbreak? Is the county the size of a city block?

Population about 31,000.

I'm wondering how many "bronchitis" cases are suddenly getting tested for pertussis, too, when you know last year the exact same case would have just gotten written off.

[runes]

This misinformation about pertussis has got to stop. I really wish that a tv news show or major mainstream magazine would take this subject on, but alas.

Meanwhile, this is a great piece about the crazy statistics regarding pertussis.

[Ophelia]

Yeah, there was an article last week in the STrib. I posted in the comment section about the mis-truths in the article regarding transmission:

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle...?elr=KArksUUUU

I don't think this comment in the ALTrib is correct:

Antibiotics can be given as a precaution to the contacts to prevent whooping cough from developing.

Because my understanding is that the antibiotics do NOTHING for the person taking them directly, only to perhaps prevent the bacteria from spreading to others.

Or this:

The disease can be prevented through the pertussis booster vaccine (Tdap) for adolescents.

Since the vaccine does NOT prevent xmission, it only is supposed to lessen the symptoms.

I'm in northern Dakota cty, so I'm watching this to see if it spreads more.

[momofmine]

I think antibiotics are supposedy helpful to the person if they are given at the very beginning, before the cough even starts. Yet, you probably wouldn't even know it was pertussis at that point, and by the time the cough is going full force and you do know it is pertussis, the abx are useless.

However, I personally would not use the abx at any point because it would only serve to weaken the body overall, at a point where you want to your immune system to be strong.

[CookAMH]

Originally Posted by momofmine

However, I personally would not use the abx at any point because it would only serve to weaken the body overall, at a point where you want to your immune system to be strong.

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